As the golden-haired, frog-throated chanteuse of the Velvet Underground, the German born Nico cast a decadent spell. Her cool, detached performances, in direct opposition with the feel-good hippie vibe of the 1960s, influenced the punk scene of the 1970s. This collection serves as an excellent sampler of Nico"s work, beginning with her first single for Rolling Stones" manager Andrew Loog Oldham"s then-new Immediate label (a 1965 cover of Gordon Lightfoot"s "I"m Not Sayin") and spanning her Velvet Underground contributions and her stunning first four solo albums. Her ethereal cover of the Doors" "The End" matched with material by producer John Cale, Lou Reed, and Jackson Browne, as well as her own doomy compositions, illuminate her unusual sense of style. The silent hero here, however, is Cale, who served as the perfect collaborator, elevating Nico"s worldview with his often gorgeous, always sympathetic musical backing. --Rob O"Connor